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Welcome Ange: To Dare is to Didgeridoo
- Thread starter tommysvr
- Start date
Mr Gogolak
Espen Baardsen
It's really a weird season, as I don't think I've ever been on the fence for so long with a manager. Last night, I was thinking that you can't fire the manager on a performance like that. Sure, it wasn't world-beating stuff, but we were in the game. Despite the injuries (I'm not sold on tiredness: Salah played 29 games with Liverpool, Kulusevski 28 and nobody's saying Salah is tired), we made it difficult for them. But then we lose so many games... there has to be a line drawn somewhere.
What really bothers me is that this season is season is exactly the same as the previous one: three months thrown away because of injuries (because of non-contact injuries, I might add). We really can't have that. I feel he's managed the squad a bit better this time but at this rate, it would take a billion years for him to navigate through the festive season without our season being completely screwed up.
The argument about the number of games is also completely irrelevant in my opinion. European competitions is where we want to be. You can't spend a full season trying to get in and then use it as an excuse. The extra games didn't come as a surprise.
Basically, when we're not playing, I want him out. And then, the next match comes up and I can't help but think... if it worked, it would be so great. Sometimes, it feels like one of these rigged games where you keep on losing but also keep on playing because of the frustration it generates. There's got to be a way to make it work! Let's have another game!
I guess at the end of the day, I'm one of these 'head says get rid, heart says keep' people...
What really bothers me is that this season is season is exactly the same as the previous one: three months thrown away because of injuries (because of non-contact injuries, I might add). We really can't have that. I feel he's managed the squad a bit better this time but at this rate, it would take a billion years for him to navigate through the festive season without our season being completely screwed up.
The argument about the number of games is also completely irrelevant in my opinion. European competitions is where we want to be. You can't spend a full season trying to get in and then use it as an excuse. The extra games didn't come as a surprise.
Basically, when we're not playing, I want him out. And then, the next match comes up and I can't help but think... if it worked, it would be so great. Sometimes, it feels like one of these rigged games where you keep on losing but also keep on playing because of the frustration it generates. There's got to be a way to make it work! Let's have another game!
I guess at the end of the day, I'm one of these 'head says get rid, heart says keep' people...
braineclipse
Terry Dyson
I think they tried, but weren't able to.
Our pressing didn't work. Bergvall and Sarr (imo) couldn't figure it out and were way too easy to bypass.
On the ball I don't think it can be doubted that we tried. Kinsky, Gray, and Spence repeatedly tried to get out of difficult situations by playing with real ambition. As did Bissouma. It just wasn't enough. Imo not because of what they did, but because of what others didn't or aren't able to do.
According to whoscored Gray made 31 passes in the first half. Dragusin made 14. Sarr 8.
We imo essentially tried playing out through a high press involving two of our deep players as little as possible under pressure, because they're not good under pressure. That's really difficult. We tried going long instead, but the ball just came back.
Ange then changed what he could at half time, going super heavy on ball quality in midfield at the cost of defensive solidity. That worked to some extent, but obviously made us more vulnerable defensively.
Bedfordspurs
Chris Waddle
And that is where romeros passing strength is key
braineclipse
Terry Dyson
If some people get their wish and Romero is sold a quality ball playing RCB should be top of our list of priorities. Unless we think Vuskovic is ready to slot straight in as first choice come August (and that seems unlikely).
Grays_1890
Barry Daines
If we had our Crystal Ball and it was guaranteed that next season was going to bumper season because this season being one of learning and development then you would have course take it, the issue I have is that I am not sure I see it and I feel the excuses (from fans mainly) would be the same next year "ohhhh we didn't have the players available last year to develop them so that has a hangover into this year".....
I like Ange alot and wanted him to succeed more than anyone we have had recently because he is a good guy, but its not working at the moment, even with injuries the points accumulation is scary low
thfcsteff
Garth Crooks
Pretty much every manager under Levy bar Poch has ended up out of their depth. If he survives, it would be against the run of managerial play for the last two and a half decades.
Bedfordspurs
Chris Waddle
I don’t think we sell Romero because no one is gonna pay the fee for him
He will want to leave but we will demand a huge fee
So he will be here
And I’m fine with that
He shouldn’t be in the leadership group though
And he will play plenty of games next season
Still make the daft mistakes of leaving his man
Also likely get an innocuous knock that keeps him off for a third of a season and we rinse and repeat
But… we will have more cover next season IMO
But we need him
Bedfordspurs
Chris Waddle
Those excuses are exactly what Saudi Sportswashing Machine said last year by the way
They look miles better playing the same players every week and no European football
Shock/horror
Grays_1890
Barry Daines
Of course, but then in their journey Howe got them in CL first season and I would say the CL has a greater impact year two than the Outer Hebrides Cup. They also finished 7th and not that far off their previous points total.
We are frankly in freefall here, if we lose to Everton on Sunday which puts them within reach of us then I can't see him not being sacked
Legohamster
Ian Walker
Let's say we keep him for next season
Will he have learnt anything from his style of play (admitted by himself) causing injuries? Or will we carry on playing the same way and for the 3rd season in a row we can all moan about injuries when VDVs hamstring goes for a 5th time in 3 seasons?
I just can't see him changing, which is absolutely fine to stick by what he believes, but he can't moan when he's booted for it.
Muttley
Ramon Vega
Such a good post, and very much explains how I feel as well.
You can never isolate an Ange opinion to one single game, but you can definitely draw conclusions after a couple of seasons. Ultimately, I do think he is going to do well to keep his job and want to see him retained for the rest of this season. At this phase, I think everyone is realising that he's no tactical genius, and his methods are quite simple. It's going to be about player quality and repetition, repetition, repetition if we keep him intact for his 4 year contract.
I still want him to use more chapters in that manager's playbook. There is nothing expansive about his thinking on football.
Bedfordspurs
Chris Waddle
I don’t see him going until the summer at the earliest
We will see
Grays_1890
Barry Daines
Depending on results I would say of course
If he does make the summer then we have a massive decision to make here again
Bedfordspurs
Chris Waddle
Depends what happens in the mean time of course
Legohamster
Ian Walker
DeanoAustin
Les Ferdinand
I actually had blind hope that we'd win there. Was just a sneaking feeling but we were outplayed and outclassed. I'm not too disappointed with the result in the cold light of day but the performance wasn't good and when you put that together with our form, it's a cause for much concern.
But Steff, if you stop being optimistic, the end of the world is nigh. You're the personification of the hope in "it's the hope that'll kill you". We all know we're likely doomed to an eternity of misery and underachievement but we have that tiny voice saying "you never know. We're due. It's going to be our turn soon." You are that voice. If you turn into the rest of us, the rest of us are fudged.
Grays_1890
Barry Daines
Yeh me too and we were not terrible either, they were just better and looked well drilled, in many ways I really feel for Ange because we are not terrible, but unless we see an uptick in results he is going to find this job tough if not from the fans but from the players too, they will lose faith.
DeanoAustin
Les Ferdinand
No, I wouldn't say terrible. We did well to weather the early storm I thought without much threat to our goal. But we carried almost no attacking threat first half despite getting a goal. I think when you hear Ange speak, the performance becomes more worrying because we either didn't do what he asked or couldn't.
Second half, like I said earlier, I thought the subs were mad but they did actually improve things IMO. However, we still weren't the better team, just better than the first half.
When you put that together with our run of form, it's worrying. And, you're dead right about the players. You see how many fans are split on whether Ange can be successful. The players are only human - some of them will be wondering at this point.
I can’t see him here beyond the summer. Unless we win a trophy and even then I’m not sure if keeping him would be wise.